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1993/12/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Fisika

“Elhuyar. In the May issue of “Science and Technology” the last record of superconductivity temperature was explained. In this issue we have to tell you that the record has been broken thanks to a team of researchers from Zurich. This temperature is 133 K (-140 °C).

Superconductivity is important for transporting the electric current without converting it into heat, among other things. If the current does not find resistance on the road, the effect of Joule will not lose heat. It is, therefore, the best way to save energy.

Superconductivity does not appear below a given temperature.

The superconductivity has been tested with a lot of materials, but the mixtures of copper oxide, calcium, barium and mercury that are being used lately are ones with the best results.

Although it is not yet possible to find materials with superconductivity at room temperature, the results obtained so far allow some applications to be made in systems cooled with liquid nitrogen (77 K or -196 °C).